Author: longshotcowgirl

This a tribute to an amazing person who is now in heaven rejoicing and singing praises. We lost a truly amazing person May 3, 2019. She was a warrior, child of Christ, mother, fighter, and so much more!

She was the kind of person that Even though she went through a major fight with cancer and the devil; she never complained. She always had a beautiful smile on her face and put others first. She always took the time to help others in need.

There were times when quitting seemed easier with some of the things I went through but she inspired me, along with many others, to be a better person & always keep going. She had a heart of gold. I just can not say enough good about her.

I struggled a few times and she always knew what to say. Some of her key phrases I remember her telling me is:

Winning: If you are out there trying you may not win the gold buckle but you will be winning. Never giving up will pay off if you keep trying. Winning is not letting the devil take your faith away! Winning is overcoming fear and conquering your demons. Winning is the baby steps you take on your way to greatness.

I was struggling with things after my wreck and not riding horses yet; and at the time she wasn’t riding horses either. She sent me this message and it gave me hope. She never waivered in her faith and was truly inspirational!

The last thing I got was a text from her, as even in her toughest times she still sent out a positive texts on Fridays.

“If you don’t value yourself, don’t expect anyone else to value you. Be the best you God intended you to be and not who the devil hoped you were.” Rpotter

She loved helping others and loved showing what Faith can do. I know many people said at her celebration of life, how she didn’t want anyone to know how sick she truly was. She did it because she didn’t want anyone to lose faith.

I was struggling with sleep and kept having nightmares for almost a month. Then one night, I had a dream with her in it. I sent this to her the next day but never got to tell her the details of the Dream.

“I had a dream about you last night. It was strange. You were at my house and we were talking about life and God. It was actually a very peaceful dream. Which I haven’t been having lately. I really can’t describe it. ”

See in this dream it felt so real, like she was right there. We talked about our kids, husbands, and everything else good going on with our lives. We talked about how God puts people in our lives for certain times, just like Esther. We talked how he protects us and in the end we will be surrounded by a peaceful fog with a huge glorious light shining through from above and we would be lifted up by the hand of God to the golden gates of Heaven.

This dream brought me so much peace and not even sure how it came about.

I will never be able to thank her enough or her family enough for supporting her while she followed Gods dreams for her. She was an amazing person and I just hope I’m at least 1/2 that good of a person. I’ll miss her Sunday morning services before barrel racing, her mentorship, her positive texts, her unbelievable prayers, her faith, her compassion, and most of all her heart. She absolutely loved her family and was so proud of them. Never once did I hear her say anything negative. She will truly be missed but I know I will see her again.

So in honor of her, think positive, be positive, show others positivity; but most of all HAVE FAITH and NEVER GIVE UP! Your problems are all in God’s hands so give it to him and focus on what God wants you to do with your life. As Roxy would say the battle was already won, you just focus on God and doing the right thing and let God handle your problems. Because YOU, YES You, were made for such a time as this!

Have you ever drove down the road and seen trash scattered, or bags to be picked up? Have you seen someone’s vehicle that you can’t sit in because they haven’t cleaned it in years? Well our lives are pretty similar.

Just like the trash scattered all over the roads, we can scatter our “trash” as well. Think of a time you said something to someone that wasn’t nice when you were angry or hurt. Most people do that to try to make themselves feel better, or keep from getting hurt.

When honestly it is not making things better. As that words that got tossed out of your mouth has hurt someone. Just like the trash it can kill or hurt animals or other people.

We don’t think it’s a big deal, as we don’t deal with it. Someone else usually has to come through and clean up the mess.

Now there are times when you get called out for throwing trash out. But that doesn’t mean to keep it bottled up. That can be just as bad.

If we don’t properly handle your trash, it can destroy you. Just like a car that no one cleans out.

If we keep holding things in, whether it’s because too nice or too scared, it doesn’t end well. All their frustrations keep piling up, and they have no release. They have so much built up fear, frustration, disappointments, and negativity, that eventually there is no room for anyone else. Just like the car, if you can’t keep it clean, who wants to ride with you?

Whether you throw out trash, or keep it piled up, there is an answer! The answer is simple: leave your trash at the altar!

The only one that is strong enough to handle our problems or who can clean us up, is God. If we take it to the altar, leave everything there! Don’t throw it out to have others have to clean it up. Don’t hold it inside to build up. Take it to the garbage can and get rid of it!

The altar is there to be our garbage can. All our problems, hate, emotions, struggles, and whatever else we are struggling with.

The altar is there to help us make amends, open our hearts, and minds in order to clean us.

So when we are faced with difficulties, instead of throwing it out the window to affect others, or keeping it bottled up, take it to the altar!

I had so much going on last year that I didn’t have time to process much. Between work, kids, and recovering, it really didn’t give me a chance.

Everyone in my family wrote on a piece of paper a goal for the year. The bigger the goal the better. My goal last year was simple, to get stronger so I can ride horses again.

Now I did get to ride a couple times last year for a short time. But the fear of the what if’s took over. Which is crazy as I didn’t get hurt on a horse. I got hurt in a truck. Crazy I know! I seen what it did to my husband and kids when I was not able to take care of myself, and I didn’t want it to happen again. So I became cautious.

With that means putting what I love in a drawer and locking it away. Not really on purpose but I just had something telling me not yet.

Maybe it was me listening to the doctor when he said he didn’t recommend me riding but if I did to wait at least a year. Maybe it was me fearing of what I would accomplish. Maybe it was a fear of what if I am unable to do what I love without hurting myself again.

So many things, yet my life was so hectic I never figured it out last year. During the New Year I did have a chance to reflect.

I know God was telling me not yet for a reason. I trust that he knows best and I should always follow when he tells me to do, or not to do something!

I realize that I am not afraid of horses or riding, I’m afraid getting on the horse and not being able to keep riding. Not of getting hurt, but me not being able to physically ride.

Yes I know it is a crazy thing to be scared of. I should be just thankful I am here, and I know I am blessed. Like everyone else, I have emotions too, and I’m human as well.

We put thoughts in our heads that sometimes keep us out of trouble, but sometimes they keep us from accomplishing great things.

I believe we are all here for a purpose and I know life is too short. So instead of all the what if’s, I am taking the next step.

The next step is actually getting back on a horse, not just for a few minutes. Then continuously riding all year. This is the only way I will know if I can do it still.

I still have back and hip pain, and never got my back fixed. So not 100% sure if my body will handle me riding like I used to. But if I don’t at least try, then I will be giving into what the devil wants. I will be giving into my fears, and for that I need to try!

We have the power to control our lives as God gave us the power to choose. He also gave us the tools to become greater than we are today! Many of us, don’t ever reach our destiny as we stay in the same ruts.

Just like four wheeling, if you keep driving down the same ruts, they will just keep getting deeper. If we keep going down the same path, it only gets harder to get out.

Now I’m not saying it is impossible, as with God anything is possible. But it is easier at times to stay in those ruts as we already know what to expect.

Now imagine going down those ruts, and you start climbing up, just to slide back down. To some it’s scary as they feel like anytime they start getting somewhere, something happens and they slide back down. At that point you have a choice.

One of your choices are to stay in that rut and give up trying. This will lead to despair, regret, anger, and depression. Many people feel they are too weak to go on, or it’s pointless. I’ve been down this road a few times, and it is easy to get sucked back down. I had one person tell me once, if you think you are beaten, then you are. Part of overcoming obstacles is our outlook. Which leads to the other choice and that is to try again!

If you keep struggling and not getting the outcome you want, STOP! Take a step back, and think of what you truly want. The people who are experienced at four wheeling, usually know what to do in situations. Do you know why that is?

They have experienced it, or have learned from someone else who has. They know how to get out of those ruts that suck you down. They don’t go in the mud hole thinking they will fail. They go in with confidence that they will prevail!

For any trial we go through, we should do the same. Face it knowing that we have an amazing God who has the power to perform miracles! I always say this and will say it again: For one negative, think of at least 3 positives.

It’s hard at first, but I promise it makes a difference. I was in a few ruts and didn’t know how to get out. I thought I was stuck and no matter what I couldn’t get out. Then I got stronger, spiritually and mentally. I overcame those obstacles.

I won’t lie and say it’s easy now, as you will always have battles you are faced with. If you seek God, the devil will try to put you in deep ruts, sometimes some that you don’t think is possible to get out of! That is just life unfortunately. What you can control is how you respond to these obstacles.

God has gave us the tools we need to become greater. He’s given us the power to overcome as well as free will to choose. It is on us to figure out if we are going to choose the path meant for us or the path that leads to nowhere. For if we choose God, the end of our road leads to glory, to me that is worth all the struggles!

Most think of Christmas as the time for gifts, feasts, and seeing family they haven’t seen in awhile. Yeah most understand it’s Jesus’s birthday, but don’t honestly know the true meaning. We get stuck a lot on trying to buy the ultimate present. But honestly the best presents in life are not bought!

The best presents I have ever had were ones my kids handmade me. Those gifts were made with Love, you can’t put a price tag on that. Those are the priceless gifts. If I had to rank gifts they would be at the top with only one other surpassing them.

See God knew before Jesus was even born his plans. He knew that his only son would be born in order to save all of us. How can we top that? Jesus Christ was born with a purpose, just like us. God gave us the ultimate present when he gave us his son, Jesus Christ.

Who else could give us the gift of eternal life? All the gifts in the world combined just can’t add up to what God gave us. I don’t even know what we could possibly do to pay him back.

So this Christmas and each Christmas in the future I challenge everybody to remember the true meaning. Like someone told me we will have good Christmas’s and not as good Christmas’s. But the true gifts are the blessings in our lives.

So if you are at a point to be a blessing to others, do so, because you never know when you’ll need a blessing yourself.

Remember blessings do not have to be huge, as the little things are the ones we tend to not forget. Even if it is just being nice to someone, that may mean more than you know.

If you want anything in life, you must work for it. Life is definitely not easy and it is full of trials. These trials are what helps us become who we are. Just as long as we remember that God gives us choices.

If we lose sight on what is good, we may lose sight of who we really are meant to become. But if we keep our eyes on God and the positives, we will continue to grow! Our growth will know no limits, and take us to heights we never dreamed of. The only thing it takes is for us to take the first step!

To be completely honest, I’ve struggled on finding on who I am meant to be. I thought I had it all figured out til my wreck. I was really good the first year, as I wanted to get better, to barrel race again. I had all the motivation and desire, but the pain was too much.

I couldn’t sit for 30 minutes or stand for 10 minutes. I knew that surgery was my next option. I was scared but knew if I wanted to do things I did before, I had to do it.

Surgery was brutal, not only on myself but for my husband and kids. I realized that I wanted to be there for them for the future. So I started babying myself.

Now I did my exercises and worked out and as long as I was doing that my pain with my back was good. So I decided to not fix my back. My hip was sore but nothing like before.

I did that for awhile and finally got back on a horse at my moms. I cried of course, (happy tears) but when I got home I didn’t have a horse to ride. I kept pushing myself to get stronger til my daughter got sick.

She had a blood infection from chigger bites and scared me. I was off work for a week and I let myself stop working out. It took a little while to get her back to where I wasn’t watching her constantly as she had flair ups. Ever since then it has been hard to get back into it.

I had developed a fear of doing things that I used to have so much confidence in the past. But the first step is realizing this. The first step is always the hardest and no matter what anyone says, it is possible!

So I have taken the first step again. This is and will always be an ongoing battle, but I am willing to keep praying and moving forward. I know God has plans for me and he is not done yet.

I am going to get back into exercising every day and working on overcoming fears I have obtained while on this journey. I know life is too short to not be happy. Life is also too short to my love your dreams!

I have a wonderful life and truly blessed right now, but I know God has bigger plans for me. For that I will take my first steps, to greatness! Each step may not be easy but at least it is forward motion!

I’ve been blessed to meet and spend some time with a lot of the girls that are going to the NFR this year. They are truly amazing.

I have to say before everybody starts in on their couch jockeying, I want to ask you guys if you guys have ever heard of the verse, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her”? Now I know the lady in the Bible did less than desirable things, but haven’t we all made mistakes? It is not our job to point out others faults.

These girls have worked their butts off! They have made it through blood, sweat, and tears. They have endured mental and physical exhaustion, pain, loss of loved ones, and broken bones just to be able to do what they love, what God called them for. See we’re all unique, each and everyone of us. We are all bound for greatness if we just trust God and follow his path. The girls I have met, their faith is strong and they honestly love to encourage others. They don’t like to tear people down, they work together although they’re competing for the same prize. They would love to get that gold buckle, but to get to heaven is so much more rewarding. They have put in miles upon miles, they have missed family gatherings, birthdays, loved ones. They have always tried to keep a smile on their face even in times of trouble because others are watching them.

What you don’t see is all the hard work that it takes to get where they are behind closed doors. So before you pass judgment realize that no one is perfect, every single person on this earth makes mistakes. I challenge each and every couch jockey out there that thinks that they can do such a better job riding these horses in that arena. I challenge you to get off your butt and do it. Sitting there is not going to accomplish anything, sitting there complaining is not going to make yourself feel better, sitting there will prevent you from accomplishing what God wants you to do. So instead of being that person who says the girl riding should’ve done this or she should’ve done that, or I could ride that horse better, STOP! I challenge you to start thinking of the positives. I guarantee that each one of those ladies that made it to the NFR don’t criticize others. They know that everybody starts at the bottom and has to work their way up to the top. They have a huge passion for the rodeo and to make the sport better not worse they encourage others and cheer each other on. They are not happy when someone has a bad run. They know at the end of the day gold buckles are just buckles, and true championships is not won here on earth. The true goal is to get to heaven, so instead of criticizing these girls performances, be a light! They are under so much stress and it’s not all fun going to Vegas, it’s a lot of hard work, it’s grueling and they don’t get sleep. They could definitely use some encouraging words during this time but if you’re still adamant that you can do better than any of these girls then what I challenge you is to get off your butt and do it because actions speak a whole lot more than words, talking is overrated.

Posts navigation

Text Widget

This is a text widget. The Text Widget allows you to add text or HTML to your sidebar. You can use a text widget to display text, links, images, HTML, or a combination of these. Edit them in the Widget section of the Customizer.